Wire bending machine



March 5, 1957. J. c. LINCOLN ETAL 2,783,782

WIRE BENDING MACHINE 1l Shets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 24, 1953 HTT.,

March 5, 1.957 J. c. LINCOLN ET AL 2,783,782

WIRE BENDING MACHINE 11 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 24, 1953 HTT'.

March 5, 1957 J. c. LINCOLN l-:TAL 2,783,782

vWIRE BENDING MACHINE Filed Sepf. 24, 1953 11 Sheets-Sheet 3l IN VENTORS.

March 5, 1957 C, LINCOLN ETAL 2,783,782

WIRE BENDING MACHI'NE Filed sept'. 24, 1953 Sheets-Sheet 4 IN V EN TORL/Noauv Wave/v1: lG-Blmuwsmwr HTT.

March 5, 1957 J. c. LINCOLN ET AL 2,783,782

WIRE BENDING MACHINE Filed sept. 24, 1953 11 SlfleeS-Shet 5 i QW March5, 1957 J. c. LINCOLN ET Al. 2,783,782

WIRE BENDING MACHINE Filed sept. 24, 1953 11 sheets-sheet e' my a www YSVENII G BLUNENSHHDT ML Q' Wwf-n March 5, 1957 J. c. LINCOLN ET AL2,783,782

WIRE BENDING MACHINE Filed Sept. 24, 1953 11 Sheets-Sheet 7 l l... c

l' v INVENTO Q9 .7a/Ml 511A/cam March 5, 1957 J. C. LINCOLN ET AL WIREBENDING MACHINE Filed sept. .24, 1953 Je gl* 1l Sheets-Sheet 8 EESnvntor a Gttorne'g v March 5, 195'7 J. c. LINQOLN Erm. 2,783,782

v.WIRE BENDING MACHINE Filed sept. 24, 195s l 11 sheets-sheet 9 1:15-57y1-Bia 'nsig March 5, 1957 Filled sept. 24, 1953 o4 1 106 F15- EE Oz 1oz8o.

J. C. LINCOLN ET AL WIRE BENDING MACHINE 1l Sheets-Sheet 10 1NVENToRs=.I0/'IN D- LINDDLA/ i l er?.

March 5, 1957 .1. c. LINCOLN ET AL 2,783,782

WIRE BENDING MACHINE Filed Sept; 24, 1953 ll Sheets-Sheet 11 Tqea UniteWIRE BENDING MACHINE Application September 24, 1953, Serial No. 382,028

16 Claims. (Cl. 14o-71) This invention relates to wire bending machinesproducing zigzag bent or sinuously corrugated wire strips such as usedfor making wire springs for seat and back spring structures, cushionsand the like and, more particularly, to a wire bending machine in whichpivotally mounted wire bending arms cooperate with vertically andhorizontally shiftable wire forming and transferring elements inalternately engaging and bending a wire in opposite directions as thewire passes between the wire bending arms of the machine. This type ofwire bending machines has its wire bending arms pivoted to swing in ahorizontal plane and its wire forming and transferring elements arrangedto oscillate in planes angularly related to said horizontal plane toeiect engagement and disengagement with newly formed loops of the wirestrip for step by step advancement of the strip through the machine andmakes it diiiicult to adjust the machine for wires differentiating inphysical properties, particularly, as such wire bending machines duringthis type of rather common adjustments should be kept running to avoidexcessive production losses.

The general object of the present invention is the provision of animproved wire bending machine of the general type referred to above, inwhich the pivotally mounted wire bending arms are arranged to oscillatein spaced, parallel planes, in which the forming and transferringelements cooperating with the wire bending arms are pivotally mounted tooscillate and reciprocate in such spaced, parallel planes to properlyform loops in the wire to be bent and in which the wire and formed wirestrip are vertically reciprocated by stripper-like shifting means andalternately shifted from one of said planes into the other one to effectdisengagement of the wire and formed wire strip from one wire bendingarm and its cooperating forming and transferring element and engagementof the formed wire strip with the other forming and transferring elementfor progressively advancing the formed wire strip through the machineand successive bending of the wire by the other bending arm incooperation with said other forming and transferring element.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved wirebending machine of the general type referred to above, in whichpivotally mounted wire bending arms and pivotally mounted reciprocatingforming and transferring elements provided with forming and wiretransfer means have such forming and transfer means arranged tooscillate in two vertically spaced, parallel planes for cooperativebending of a wire in either one of said planes, and in whichstripper-like shifting means are arranged to be oscillated in verticalplanes or planes perpendicular to said parallel planes to alternatelytransfer the Wire and formed wire strip from the wire forming means inone plane to the wire forming and transfer means in the other plane.

A further object of the invention is the provision of an improved wirebending machine of the type referred to above which embodies readilyaccessible adjusting means adapted to permit effective individual andjoint adjustment es Patent ricc j i block members of the wire and wirestrip control unit, thus 2,783,782 Patented Mar. k5,

of working parts of the machine when running for full control of shape,form and spacing of the loops of zigzag or sinuously corrugated wirestrips produced by such wire bending machine.

Still another important object of the invention is the provision of awire bending machine constructed to rapidly, accurately andinexpensively shape a wire to a zigzag or sinuously corrugated wirestrip, the wire bending machine being of as simple a design and low costas possible and practical and eicient for al1 purposes intended.

Additional objects and novel features of construction,

combinations and relations of parts by which the objects in view havebeen attained will appear and are set forth.`

in detail in the course of the following specification.

The drawings accompanying and forming part of the specificationillustrate a certain practical embodiment ofthe invention, but it willbe apparent as the specification Y proceeds that the structure may bemodified and changed in various ways Without departure from the truespirit and broad scope of the invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan view partly in section of a wire bending machineconstructed in accordance with the invention; the view being taken online 1 1 of Fig. 9;

Fig. 2 is a sectional View through the machine, the section being takenon line 2 2 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view, the section being taken on line3 3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional View, the section being taken on line4 4 of Fig. 2 and Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view, the sectionbeing taken on line 5 5 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a transversal sectional view, the section being taken on line6 6 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary, transversal sectional view, the section beingtaken on line 7 7 of Fig. l;

Fig. 8 is a transversal sectional view, the section beingtaken on line 88 of Fig. 1 and Fig. 10;

Fig. 9 is a transversal sectional view, the section being taken on line9 9 of Fig. 1 and line 9 9 of Fig. 10;

Fig. 10 is a horizontal sectional view, the section being taken on line10-10 of Fig. 9;

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary sectional view, the section being taken on line11 11 of Fig. 10;

Fig. 12 is a fragmentary sectional View, the section being taken on line12 12 of Fig. 10; and

Fig. 13 is a fragmentary sectional view, the section being taken on line13 13 of Fig. 10;

Fig. 14 is a fragmentary Ysectional View, the section being taken online lll-14 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 15 is a front view of the wire and wire strip control" unit;

Fig. 16 is a fragmentary end view of the left side of the unit shown inFig. 15;

Fig. 17 is an end view of the right side of the unit shown in Fig. 15;

Fig. 18 is a longitudinal sectional view through the control unit, thesection being taken on line 18 18 of Fig. l;

Fig. 19 is a sectional view, the section being taken on line 19 19 ofFig. 18;

Fig. 2O is a` fragmentary sectional view, the section being taken online 2i) 2tl of Fig. 19;

Fig. 21 is a fragmentary sectional view, the section being taken on line21 21 of Fig. 18; and

Fig. 22 is a Vfragmentary sectional view, the section being taken online 22-22 of Fig. 18;

Figs. 23 through 26a show diagrammatically the relationship of thebending arms of the machine to corre'- sponding forming and transferarms and the transfer Fig. 23 is a fragmentary diagrammatic plan viewshowing the forming button of one of the bending arms and the formingand transfer button of the cooperating forming and transfer arm in axialalignment to permit transfer of a loop formed by said one bending armandtlie one transfer block member of the control unit coupled with such oneforming and transfer arm;

Fig. 23a is a fragmentary front view of Fig. 23 indicating the transferof the formed wire loop;

Fig. 24 is a fragmentary diagrammatic plan view similar to Fig. 23showing the transfer arm with the transfer block member in advancedposition and indicatingthe advanced position of the loop;

Fig. 24a is a fragmentary front view of Fig. 24 showing the forwardshifting of the loop-carrying transfer block member with respect' to thebending arm;

Fig. 25 is a fragmentary diagrammatic plan view similar to Fig. 23showing the forming button of the other one of the bending arms andthe'forming and transfer button of the cooperating forming and transfer'arm in axial alignment to permit transfer of the loop formed by saidother bending arm and other transfer block member of the control unitcoupled with such forming and transfer arm;

Fig. 25a is a fragmentary front View of Fig. 25;

Fig. 26 is a fragmentary diagrammatic plan View similar to Fig. 25showing the transfer arm and the transfer block member coupled theretoin advanced position, the loop being progressed with the transfer blockmember;

Fig. 26a is a fragmentary front view of Fig. 26;

Fig. 27 is a plan view of the two stripper units;

Fig. 28 is a front view of Fig. 27;

Fig. 29 is a sectional view through Fig. 27, the section being taken online 29-29 of said Fig. 27 and Fig. 30 is a sectional view through Fig.28, the section being taken on line 30-30 of said Fig. 28;

Figs. 31 through 33 show views of the two stripper units assembled to astripper assembly, thus Fig. 31 is a. cross section through the stripperassembly shown in Fig. 32, the section being taken on line 31-31 of saidFig. 32;

Fig. 32 is a front view of the stripper assembly; and

Fig. 33 is a sectional view, the section being taken on line 33-33ofFig. 32;

Figs. 34 through 36 show views of one of the bending arms of thewirebending machine, thus Fig. 34 is a plan view of one of the Wire bendingarms;

Fig. 35 is a sectional View, the section being taken on line 35-35 ofFig. 36; and

Fig. 36 is a front view of Fig. 34;

Figs. 37 through 39 show views of one of theforming and transfer arms ofthe wire bending machine; thus Fig. 37 is a plan view of one of theforming and transfer` arms;

Fig. 38 is a front View of Fig. 37; and

Fig. 39 is an end view of Fig. 38. Y

Referring now more in detail to the exemplied form of the inventionshown in the drawings, the wire bending machine shown therein embodies ahousing 2 mounting in roller bearings 3 and 4 a main drive shaft 5`which is driven by a motor 6 coupled therewith by releasable clutchmeans 7 and a Reeves drive pulley arrangement 8. Main drive shaft isgeared to a cam and drive shaft 9 by reducing gearing 1() including adrive pinion.11 on drive shaft 5 and a large gear 12 on cam and'driveshaft 9, the latter shaft being journaled in ball bearings 14, and 16.Cam drive shaft 9 is coupled with a rotary speed meter 184 and actuatesa wire bending mechanism 17 arranged on the top of housing 2, as will bedescribed hereinafter. Wire bending mechanism 17, which is designedto'shape a straight wire into a zigzag bent or sinuously corrugated wirestrip, receives for such purpose wire 18-froma source of supply (notshown),.and.this

wire is straightened by passingthrcugh awire straightener. 19 ofstandard design (see Fig. 1) embodying parallel pairs of rollers 2liarranged in somewhat staggered relation with respect to each other and apair of rollers 21 arranged at a right angle to the pairs of rollers 20,all individual and pairs of rollers being adjustably supported.Actuation of wire bending mechanism 17 is elfeeted by cam and driveshaft 9 which for such purpose mounts two symmetrically arranged bevelgears 22, 23 meshing with similar bevel gears 24, 25 on twosymmetricaily arranged vertical shafts 26, 27 and effects rotation ofthese shafts in opposite direction with respect to each other, asindicated by arrows 28, 29 in Figs. 6 and 10. Vertical shafts 26 and 27are journaled in bearings 39 and 31 and rigidly support eccentrics 32,33 which effect reciprocatory movements of transfer arm links 34, 35 byengagement of sleeve-like end portions 36, 37 of said transfer arm linkswith eccentrics 32, 33 and thus change the circular motion of shafts 26and 27 to a reciprocatory motion of the transfer arm links for a purposelater to be described. Eccentrics 32, 33 furthermore mount in laterallyoffset relation with respect to vertical. shafts 26 and 27 stud shafts38, 39 which pivotally support by means of bearings 40 the one ends 41of bending arm links 43 for a purpose later to be described. Eccentrics32, 33 are rotated in opposite directions with respect to each other andtransfer their rotary motion to wire bending arm 45, 46 mounted onvertical shafts 47, 48 and wire forming and transfer arms 49, 50 mountedon other vertical shafts 51, 52. The vertical shafts 47, 48 which arefreely rotatably mounted in bearings 54 on top plate 53 of housing 2support on their lower shaft portions 55, 56 crank arm levers 57 whichhave their one ends 59 splined to said lower` shaft portions and theirperforated other ends 61 pivot/ed by'pins 63 to the bifurcated ends 64of bending arm links 43 to convert the rotary movement of shafts 26, 27to oscillatory movements of vertical shafts 47, 43 and wire bending arms45, 46 mounted on said shafts. Vertical shafts 51, 52iare also freelyrotatably mounted on top plate 53 by means of bearing 66 and theseshafts support on. their lower shaft portions 67 adjustable crank armlevers 69, 70 splined with their one ends 71 to shaft portions 67. Crankarm levers 69, 70 adjustably support pivot pins 73 which pivotallyconnect these crank arm levers with the bifurcated other ends 74, 75 oftransfer arm links 34, 35 to convert the rotary movement of shafts 26,27 and eecentrics 32, 33 into oscillatory movements of vertical shafts51, 52 and wire forming and transfer arms 49, 50 mounted thereon. Pivotpins 73, as shown in Figs. l0 through l2, are mounted in blocks 76 whichare shiftably arranged in elongated slots 77 of crank arm levers 69, 79andy positively shifted in said slots by screw members 7S swiveled incrank arm levers 69, 7) and threadedly engaged with threaded bores 79ink blocks 76. To eect in wire bending operations progressive shiftingof the formed wire strip through the wire bending machine, wire bendingarms. 45, 46 and cooperating wire forming and transfer arms 49, 5i? areoscillated in parallel, vertically spaced planes, one wire bending armand its cooperating wire forming and transfer arm being oscillated inone plane and the other wire bending arm and its cooperating wireforming and transfer arm being oscillated in the other plane; wire 18and the Wire strip formed therefrom are alternately shafted from one ofthese planes into the other one and vice versa. Furthermore, after eachshifting wire 18 and the formed wire strip are advanced through' thewire bending machine in step-by-step motion alternately'by wire formingand transfer arms 49,53 and after each advance motion wire 1S is againsubjected to bending operations by cooperative action of the respectivewire bending arms 45, 46 and wire forming andl transfer arms'49, 50. Y

.The alternate Vshifting of wire -18 and the formedwire strip from oneplane into the other and vice versa is effected by a stripper mechanismwhich embodies a stripper assembly 80 and a stripper shiftingarrangement 81 actuated in timed relation with respect to theoscillations of Wire bending arms 45, 46 and wire forming and transferarms 49, 50, as will be later described.

Stripper assembly 80 embodies two similarly constructed stripper units82, 83 adjustably supported in inverted position with respect to eachother on two parallelly arranged, elongated shafts 84, 85. Each of thesestripper units embodies a stripper bracket S6 of substantially T-shapedcross section, the base or flange portion 87 of which includes bores 88,89 for shafts 84, 85and the middle portion 90 of which is slotted toform an elongated channel 91.` Each of the thus constructed stripperbrackets 86 has attached to its middle portion 90a plurality ofvertically arranged stripper blades 92 which differentiate in length tot the shape of the loops formed in the wire and are attached to slottedmiddle portion 90 by bolts 95. Preferably, as shown (see Fig. 30), eachchannel 91 at its rear portion 96 is covered by a hardened steel plate97 which is attached to stripper bracket 86 by machine screws 98.

The two stripper units 82, 83 which are adjustably supported onelongated shafts 84, 85, are in their adjusted positions rigidly held onsaid shafts by nut members 99 and are spaced from each other by twoadjustable assemblies 100 of perforated spacing blocks 101, 102, whichassemblies have their spacing blocks sleeved upon shafts 84, 85 ininverted position with respect to each other and which have such spacingblocks non-rotatably engaged with said shafts by key members 103. Thetwo spacing blocks 101 and 102 of each adjustable assembly are eachformed with threaded end portions 104, 105, respectively, which ininverted positions of such spacing blocks extend toward each other andare formed with right-handed and left-handed threads respectively. Thethus constructed spacing blocks 101 and 102 are coupled with each otherby an adjusting nut member 106 formed at its one end portion 107 withright-handed threads and at its other end portion 108 with left-handedthreads to effect by rotation of nut member 106 a change in the spacingof the two stripper units 82, 83.

Vertical shifting of stripper assembly 80 in opposite directions iseffected by cam and drive shaft 9 geared to vertical drive shafts 26, 27of wire bending mechanism 17. For such purpose cam and drive shaft 9rigidly mounts midway between its opposite ends a cam assembly 109 ofthe stripper shifting arrangement 81, which cam assembly rotates withcam and drive shaft 9 and effects oscillation of lever member 110pivoted at its one end 111 to bracket 112 on housing 2 and at its otherend 114 slidably coupled with downwardly extended ear portions 115 ofcross bar member 116, the perforated end portions 117 of which aresleeved upon and secured to lower end portions 118, 119 of elongatedshafts 84, 85 of the stripper assembly. Cam assembly 109 embodies twoparallelly arranged cam disk members 120, 121 which are rotatablyadjustably mounted on a base member 109' keyed to cam and drive shaft 9and actuate upon cam rollers 122, 123 mounted on lever member 110 andbracket 124 of such lever member in a fashion to positively oscillatelever member 110 and the stripper assembly coupled therewith.

The wire bending arms 45 and 46 (Figs. 34 through 36) which cooperatewith wire forming and transfer arms 49 and 50 (Figs. 37 through 39) eachembody a hub portion 125 splined to the respective shaft 47, 4S and aperforated end portion 126 mounting in its perforation a forming button127, and the wire forming and transfer arms 49 and 50 each embody a hubportion 128 splined to the respective shaft 51, 52 and a perforated endportion 129 mounting a forming button 130 and a wire retaining block131. Cooperation of wire bending arm 45 with wire forming and transferarm 49, and wire bending arm 46 with wire forming and transfer arm 50will be understood from diagrammatic views 23, 24 and diagrammatic views25, 26.

The wire forming and transfer arms are coupled with a wire and wirestrip control unit 132 fastened to top plate 53 of housing 2 by pin 182and screw member 183. Wire strip control unit 132 effects step-by-stepadvancement of the wire strip through the wire bending machine, controlsthe shape and spacing of the loops of the formed wire strip and providesthe necessary adjustments for the desired control of bending operations.

This wire strip control unit, which can readily be adjusted duringoperation of the wire bending machine, embodies two spaced supportingbrackets 133, 134 which are secured to top plate 53 of the machine, twosuperposed supporting blocks 135, 136 arranged between said brackets andconnected therewith by bolts 137, and two transfer block members 138,139 formed with transfer head portions 140, 141 Iand transfer shaftportions 142, 143 respectively, which transfer portions are slidably andnon-rotatably guided in bores 144, 145 of supporting block-s 135, 136.Control unit 132 is positioned to locate transfer head portions 140, 141of transfer block members 138, 139 with respect to predeterminedpositions of forming buttons 127 of wire bending arms 45, 46 and formingbuttons 130 of wire forming and transfer arms 49, 50 to effect byalternate engagement of cross members 148 of the formed wire strip withextended portions 146, 147 on transfer head portions 140, 141step-by-step advancement of such wire strip when shifted by stripperassembly into either one of the two planes in which forming buttons ofthe forming and trans` fer arms 49, 50 are oscillated and in whichtransfer block members 138, 139 are reciprocated by their yieldingcoupling with the forming and transfer arms, as will be. presentlydescribed.

Transfer block members 138, 139 have their head portions 140, 141yieldingly shiftably coupled with the perforated end portions 129 of thewire forming and transfer arms 49, 50 by headed screws 149 which arefreely shiftably extended through slots 150 in end portions 129 offorming and transfer arms 49, 50 and adjustably extended nto threadedbores 151 in slitted ends 152 of head portions 140, 141 and rigidly heldin adjusted positions by clamping screws 153 in the slitted ends 152.This yielding, shiftable coupling of transfer block members 138, 139with Wire forming and transfer arms 49, 50, which includes compressionsprings 113 arranged between block members 138, 139 and forming andtransfer arms 49, 50, permits limited lost motion between the transferblock members and wire forming and transfer arms, which lost motion isutilized to control the amplitude of the reciprocatory movements of thetransfer blockv members in bores 144, 145 and therewith control theshape and form of the finished wire strip. Such a control is effected byarranging in bores 144, 145 stop members 154, 155 which embodyright-handed and left-handed screw portions 156, 157, respectively,adjustably threadedly engaged with split adjusting screw retainers 158,159 attached to supporting block-s 135, 136 by machine screws 160. Splitadjusting screw retainers 158, 159 securely and non-rotatably grip screwmembers 156, 157 when knobbed clamping screws 161, 162 are screwed hometo be forced against the screw retainers 158, 159 (see Fig. 19).

Axial adjustment of screw members 156, 157 in bores 144, 145 is effectedby rotation of these screw members after release of knobbed clampingscrews 161, 162 by worm gear drives 163, 164. For such purpose screwmembers 156, 157 have slidably keyed thereto worm gears 165, 166 engagedwith worm shafts 167, 168, respectively, journaled in and extendedthrough bearing sleeves 169 which are extended through bores 170 inright-hand supporting bracket 133 into bores 171' in supporting blocks135, 136. Each of the worm shafts 167,

avsssa 168 supports on its reduced outer end 172 a flanged Y thimble 173pinned thereto. which thimble supports a spur gear 174 forced intofrictional contact with the ange 175 of the thimble by a jam nut 176threadedly engaged with the threaded ends 177 of the thimble. Jointrotation of worm shafts 167, 163 and 4screw portions 156, 157 of stopmembers 154, 155 driven thereby in opposite directions with respect toeach other to simultaneously shift the stop members in the samedirection is effected by a master spur gear 17S which meshes with thetwo spur gears 174 and is freely rotatably journalcd on a stud shaft 179mounted on right-handA supporting bracket v133 in symmetrical relationwith respect to worm shafts 167, 168. Master spur gear 17S hasrigidlyattached thereto a dial 150 and mounts a handle 181 for manualrotation of such master spur gear.

Individual adjustment of either one of stop members 154, 155 is readilyeffected by loosening the respective one of the clamping screws 161, 162and the respective jam nut 176 to permit free rotation of one of the twostop members by actuation of the respective worm gear drive and rigidlyhold the other one of such stop members against rotation by therespective split 'adjusting screw retainer, such loosening up of therespective jam nut 176 permitting free rotation of the respective spurgear 174 on its thimble 173.

Outlining the operation of the wire bending machine, it will beunderstood by reference to the drawings that each revolution of cam anddrive shaft 9 causes, by cooperation of bending arms 45, 46 with therespective wire forming and transfer arms 49, 59 formation of `left andright-handed loops in Wire 18; that after each individual left orright-hand bending operation the wire with the formed wire loop isvertically shifted by Stripper assembly S to transfer the wire loop fromthe forming button of a wire forming arm to the forming button of atransfer block member coupled with the respective wire forming andtransfer arm; that each transfer block member after receiving a loop onits forming button advances same on the forward stroke of the respectivetransfer block member and that after stripping the wire loop from theforming button of such transfer block member the transfer and formingarm with the transfer block member is retarded to starting positionready to effect in cooperation with the respective wire bending armfurther wire loop bending operations.

Form and vshape of the wire loops formed by the described wire bendingand forming operations is partly controlled by wire forming buttons 127,wire 'retaining blocks 131, and the oscillatory movements of Vwir-ebending arms 45, 46 and wire forming and transfer arms 49, 50. Theoscillatory movements of wire forming and transfer arms are controlledbythe active length of crank arm levers 69, 7() which, when adjusted,effect an increase or decrease in the stroke of wire forming andtransfer arms 49, t). Furthermorerform and shape 'of the wire loops andtheir spacing is controlled by the reciprocatory movements of transferblock members 133, 139 of control unit 132, which transfer block membersare yieldingly coupled with corresponding forming and transfer arms topermit a change in the length of the stroke of the reciprocatorymovement of transfer block members 133, 139 without changing the strokeof the oscillatory movement of forming and transfer arms 69, 50 by stopmembers 13d, 139 of control unit 132, an arrangement which permits achange in the form of the loops and their spacing. Changing of the formof the loops and their spacing, which may be exercised while the wirebending machine is operating, `is possible after release of clampingscrews 161,152 and is effected by rotation of master spur gear 17S byhandle 181. a rotation of master spur gear 178 effects by worm geardrives 163, 164 joint shifting of stop members 154, 155 in one or theother direction and thereby changes the Thus 8 stroke of thereciprocatory movements of transfer block members 138, 139. Y

Control unit 132, in addition to `control of shape and form of all theloops, also permits a change in the shape of all right-hand or left-handloops by increasing or decreasing the stroke of the reciprocatorymovements. of stop member 154 with respect to stop member 155 or viceversa. Such individual control of the stop members 15d and 155 whichalso may be exercised while the machine is operating is possible afterrelease of the respective one of the two clamping screws 161, 162 andthe respective jam nut 176 by rotation of master spur gear 178 to shiftthe respective stop member in the desired direction while securelyholding the other stop member against shifting by the respective one ofthe clamping screws 161, 162.

Having thus described our invention, whatwe claim is:

l. in a wire bending machine a pair Aof cooperating w're bending andformingmeans arranged to oscillate in a plane to bend a wire in onedirection and form open loops therein, a second pair of cooperating wirebending and forming means arranged to oscillate in another plane to bendsuch wire in the opposite direction and form open loops therein, saidlatter plane being spaced from said first plane and parallel thereto,reciprocatory stripping means arranged to reciprocate in a planeperpendicularly related to said other two planes adapted to effecttransferring of open wire loops formed by the wire bending and formingmeans in one plane to the wire forming and bending means in the otherplane, actuating means for said pairs of cooperating wire bending andforming means, and actuating means for said stripping means controlledby said first actuating means and adapted to effect verticalreciprocatory shifting of said stripping means when said pairs of wirebending and forming means are in predetermined positions with respect toeach other.

2. A wire bending machine as described in claim l, wherein thecooperating wire bending and forming means of each pair of wire bendingand forming means are oscillated in substantially opposite directionstoward and` away from each other.

3. A wire bending machine as described in claim 1, wherein correspondingwire bending and forming means of said pairs of cooperating wire bendingand forming means when oscillated overlap each other at the end of eachwire bending movement to permit the stripping means to strip open wireloops formed by bending and forming means oscillating in one plane andtransfer such open wire loops onto wire bending and forming meansoscillating in the other plane.

4. A wire bending machine as described in claim l, wherein the actuatingmeans for said pairs of cooperating wire bending and forming meansincludes a drive shaft, a pair of symmetrically arranged eccentricsgeared to said drive shaft and coupled with one of the bending andforming means of each pair thereof, and crank means mounted on each ofsaid eccentrics and coupled with the other one of the bending andforming means of each pair thereof, and wherein the actuating means forsaid stripping means, include pivotally supported lever means coupledwith said stripping means and cam meansV coupled with lever means andmounted on said drive shaft to effect shifting of said stripper means intimed relation `with respect to the movements of said pairs ofcooperating wire bending and forming means.

5. A wire bending machine as described in claim 1, wherein one of thewire bending and forming means of each pair thereof consists of a bellcrank-like lever arrangement having 'a wire bending and forming arm andVa longitudinally adjustable connecting arm, and wherein the actuatingmeans for said pairs of cooperating wire bending means includeeccentrics coupled with the longitudinally ad'usta'nle connecting armsof said bell crank-y like lever arrangement to control their rotaryoscillations,

ricerca 9 said connecting arms being longitudinally 'adjustable tochange their active length.

6. A wire bending machine as described in claim l, wherein the strippingmeans include a pair of axially spaced, aligned stripper units arrangedin inverted position with respect to each other and wherein thesestripper units are adjustably shiftably connected with each other topermit a change in their axial spacing.

7. A wire bending machine as described in claim l, wherein the strippingmeans embody a pair of similarly constructed stripper units, couplingmeans adjustably connecting the stripper units with each other inaxially spaced alignment and inverted position with respect to eachother, and elongated, parallelly arranged supporting means for the thusconnected stripper units.

8. A wire bending machine as described in claim 7, wherein the strippingunits of said stripper means include at their opposing end portionsstripping plates, and wherein such stripper plates are spaced from eachother a distance larger thank the gauge of the wire to be shaped in saidwire bending machine.

9. in a wire bending machine a pair of cooperating wire bending andforming means arranged to oscillate in a plane to bend a wire in onedirection and form opening loops therein, a second pair of cooperatingwire bending land forming means arranged to oscillate in another planeto bend such wire in the opposite direction and form open loops therein,said latter plane being spaced from said first plane and parallelthereto, reciprocatory stripping means arranged to reciprocate in aplane perpendicularly related to said other two planes adapted to effecttransfer of open wire loops formed by the wire bending and forrningmeans in one plane to the wire bending and forming means in the otherplane, and a longitudinally shiftable transfer block member for eachpair of cooperating wire bending and forming means coupled with onecooperating wire bending and forming means thereof.

10. A wire bending machine as described in claim 9, wherein eachshiftable transfer block member embodies a head portion slidably coupledwith one of the cooperating bending and forming means Of a pair ofbending and forming means and a shaft portion yieldingly shiftablycoupled with said one of the bending and forming means, acontrol-housing slidably supporting the shaft portions of said shiftabletransfer block members and stop members adjustably mounted in saidcontrol-housing adapted to arrest movements of said shaft portions whenshifted in a predetermined direction.

11. A wire bending machine as described in claim 10, wherein the shaftportion of each shiftable transfer block member is non-rotatably,slidably supported in the control-housing, wherein such shaft portionhas its coupled end enlarged and shaped to form a transfer head for anopen loop of the formed wire strip, and wherein such transfer headincludes a shoulder portion adapted to engage a loop connecting crossmember of the formed wire strip to effect in bending, forming andadvancing operations a control of the spacing of the cross members ofthe formed wire strip.

12. A wire bending machine as described in claim 10, wherein the stopmembers in said control-housing are axially shiftably mounted therein,and clamping means 1t) t adapted to rigidly hold said stop members intheir ad justed positions.

13. A wire bending machine as "described in claim 12, wherein each stopmember embodies a threaded portion threadedly engaged with splitclamping nut means forming a wall portion of the control-housing,actuating means for said clamping nut means adapted to effect itsclamping action on the threaded portion of the stop member, and wormgear drive means for said stop member includ# ing a worm gear Islidablykeyed thereto and adapted to effect rotation of the stop member for itsaxial movement in the control-housing when the clamping nut means arereleased. n

14. A wire bending machine as described in claim 13,'

wherein each worm gear drive means for a stop member includes a wormshaft extended out of the housing, a gear on the extended portion ofeach worm shaft release ably coupled therewith and a master gear engagedwith the gears on the said worm shafts for joint and individualactuation of the worm gear drive means by said master gear.

15. In a Wire bending machinea pair of cooperating bell crank-like leverarrangements having cooperating wire bending and forming arms arrangedto oscillate in a horizontal plane and operating arms, a second pair ofcooperating bell crank-like lever arrangements having cooperating wirebending and forming arms arranged to oscillate in a horizontal pianespaced from said first plane and operating arms, stripping meansarranged to reciprocate in a plane arranged at a right angle to saidfirst two planes and adapted to directly transfer wire loops formed byone pair of cooperating wire bending and forming arms to wire bendingand forming arms of the other pair theerof, eccentrically driven sleevelink means coupled with the operating arm of one of the bell crank-likelever arrangements of each pair thereof and crank means coupled with theoperating arm of the other one of the bell crank-like lever arrangementsof each pair thereof.

16. A wire bending machine as described in claim 15, wherein one bellcrank-like lever arrangement of each pair thereof shiftably supports onits operating arm a coupling member arranged to be adjustably shiftedlengthwise thereof, and wherein such coupling member is pivotallyconnected to the eccentrically driven sleeve member to change the strokeof the rotary oscillations of such bell crank-like lever arrangementwhen the coupling member is adjustably shifted on the operating arm toadjust its active length.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

